History seems to be repeating itself – especially in the automotive industry. The big three have been competing for sales since Chrysler/Dodge showed up late to the game in 1927. The muscle car era of the ‘60s amplified this dynamic, when the automakers were trying to out do each other by shoving the biggest V8 engine they could in everything they had. With a shift in focus due to tighter regulations and a shift in public interest towards better fuel economy, the horsepower war seemed to be at a standstill.
Until the late ‘90s when the brawl continued between the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, with Dodge showing up in its usual fashion, a little late, with the Charger. All of these battles of horsepower to see who could fit the biggest, baddest engine in their cars left trucks pretty much out of the mix until the F150 Raptor made the scene. Now Ram is rumored to have a 700 HP Hellcat engine powered truck in the works, with Chevy seeming to bow out of this one.
In response to Rams Rebel TRX pickup, it is rumored that a special edition of the Ford Raptor will get the 5.2-liter supercharged V-8 from the Mustang Shelby GT500. While Ford has not released the exact power figures made by the new GT500 engine, they have said it will be in excess of 700-horsepower.
It is also predicted that the special edition Raptor will utilize the GM/Ford co-developed 10 speed automatic transmission that GM is using in the Camaro ZL1 and will have a starting MSRP of $70,000. With so much speculation and the auto makers not wanting to give away their next move, it is hard to say who will come out on top of the new horsepower war but one thing is for certain. The Ford F150 Raptor started it.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
